Indian-origin cabbie Hiren Mohini’s widow ‘confused’ whether to attend trial in China

BEIJING - The widow of Indian-born Auckland taxi driver Hiren Mohini, who was stabbed to death a year ago, is reportedly facing a dilemma on whether or not to attend her husband’s murder trial in Shanghai.

The man accused of his murder, Zhen Xiao, was found by New Zealand police in China six months later. In the absence of any extradition treaty with China, the trial would reportedly be held in Shanghai.

Mohini’s widow, Falguni, said she was waiting for the Chinese authorities to arrive in New Zealand for apparently gathering evidence for the case, before deciding whether she should go to China to attend the trial.

However, she fears that she would undergo an emotional breakdown in a far of land and in her family’s absence.

“In China I’ll have to go alone with one of Hiron’s cousins or brothers, if I wanted to go. One person for my support. I can’t take my children with me. They will stay here,” she added.

The cost is estimated at 2500 dollars in flights, and 1000 dollars in accommodation if the trial lasts two weeks.

Meanwhile, a police spokeswoman declined to comment whether the widow would be paid by his epartment for her travel and accommodation expenses.

“I think the end of the story is that those sorts of questions have to come from the widow herself and they have to go to the case officer or whoever she deals with,” he added.

John Haigh, One of New Zealand’s top defence lawyers, said the likelihood of Xiao receiving a fair trial in China is “pretty much zero,” adding that: “In the system over there you’re guilty till proven innocent, and the figures show that about 0.1 per cent of persons who plead not guilty are acquitted. The judicial system in China is unfair and in no way could be regarded as independent of the executive or the government.”

It is believed that Mohini, a husband and father of two, picked up his attacker at the central Sky City taxi standtaxi stand before travelling the short distance to View Rd in Mt Eden. He later pushed the panic button in his cab, sending an emergency alert across the whole Auckland Co-Op network.

Witnesses had claimed that a young man was seen running towards Esplanade Road immediately after the crash. (ANI)